Mass Effect - Fusion
by SiraSira
Summary: CDR Heidi Shepard, the galaxy's first human SpecTRe and fearless CO of the Normandy discovered a mysterious beacon foretelling a vision of a chaotic apocalypse. Join her as she forms an 'All-Star' team to prevent a rogue SpecTRe from causing calamity to befall the Milky Way Galaxy.
1. Nightmare In Paradise

**DISCLAIMER** - I don't own or profit from anything used or mentioned in Mass Effect. I am just a simple fan who loves the series and its characters.

**GENRE** - Humor/Drama; AU, slightly OOC, slight parody, OC coming in the future and A LOT of trash-throwing banters. Rated M for future adult content.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE - NIGHTMARE IN PARADISE**

* * *

"_Captain Anderson, I'm sorry for the interference, but I've encountered a problem!_" Rang a voice of a young woman from the overhead speakers of the Conference/Comm Room.

Nihlus Kryik, a towering, brooding turian SpecTRe crossed his arms impatiently at the interruption as Commander Heidi Shepard looked up in anticipation, her green eyes slightly squinting in the growing perplexity of the situation.

'_Let me guess; There's a princess there that needs saving? The colony's large dam is on a verge of breaking?'_ The N7 Operative thought sarcastically. '_Wait, does this mission require to test drive that brand new Mako I've been eyeing at the Docking Bay?_' She smirked at least with a smile.

Before arriving to the Comm Room, Heidi was already ambushed with the truth that the shakedown run was actually a test for her to see if she was capable enough to be the first human SpecTRe by retrieving an ancient Prothean artifact so important that if in the wrong hands it could stir the galaxy into war.

Heidi could only just stand and professionally inquiry the Captain and the SpecTRe's motives to prevent herself from staring like an idiot trying to take in all the surprise being thrown at her.

'_Me? Being the galaxy's first human SpecTRe? Who'd a thunk it?_'

Leaning against the railing and crossing her arms, Heidi awaited what the overhead announcer had to add into the 'Shakedown Run' mix.

"What's wrong, Ensign?" Captain Anderson immediately acknowledged his Comm Officer.

"_Transmission I've cleared from Eden Prime, sir. It's urgent you see this!_" She replied quickly.

"Bring it up on screen." With a heavy brow, Anderson marched to the Conference Room's comm systems with the Commander and the SpecTRe following suit.

The screen displayed a squad of marines under heavy fire. A woman in phoenix armor quickly ran toward the helm-cam's wearer and helped the poor sod take cover as she fired her weapon at the unknown assailants.

In the camera's POV; panic, fear and survival instinct struck everybody. Images of random, yet constant explosions erupted around the squad, ammo flying from all directions and marines and colonists alike falling from the onslaught. A worn down marine suddenly ran towards the screen. The camera immediately took focus on him as he yelled an urgent message;

"_We are under attack! Taking heavy casualties. I repeat heavy casualties! We can't...argh!... -eed evac! They came out of nowhere. We need-_"

Before the marine could finish he was thrown opposite from the camera. Shot by a stray bullet perhaps, but from all the moving around and lack of quality to the vid, the cause was unclear. Then suddenly, a deep, pulsating noise rippled through the battlefield. The noise instantly gave the Commander a nerve-racking and uncomfortable shiver up and down her spine. Everybody in the dug-out stopped their incursion and looked up, it wasn't long before the camera holder did the same thing.

From the darkening heavens above, a large clawed hand of some sort slowly descended toward them as if it trying to grab something in the colony's surface that piqued its interests. It didn't take long for the camera bearer to start moving away from the frightening sight. The images suddenly blurred and spun around quickly as the one who held the cam scrambled for dear life.

Finally the vid ended with a more few rounds of flashing bullets and a flare of explosives before the viewing screen was overwhelmed by the distortion and images of white noise.

"_That's all I've received from scrubbing the transmission. No comm traffic just...a lost signal. I've tried hailing it but, it's gone._" The Ensign announced softly with a tinge of sadness in her voice.

"Reverse and hold at 38.5." Anderson said. His eyes still focused on the screen.

After watching the screen reverse through the vid, Nihlus' mandibles twitched at the image of the strange, clawed object coming from the sky. With the image stilled and cleared, Heidi was able to tell the object looked more like a large metallic insect. Cybernetic maybe? The thought vexed her something of that scale existed.

'_Okay, if we don't bring the Mako, I'm declaring mutiny._'

'_Oh, suck it up will you? You've been in hairier situations without a tank at hand._'

'_You're no fun._'

"Status report." Anderson ordered after a moment of taking in the unsettling image in brief silence.

"_Seventeen minutes out, sir. There are no Alliance ships posted around the area._" The Ensign immediately responded.

"Tell Joker to take us in. Fast and quiet." Anderson said trying to stay cool and calm. "This mission just got a lot more complicated."

'_You're telling me._' Heidi thought as her shoulders dropped a little and breathed out a soft sigh as she blankly stared at the still image.

"_Aye, aye, Captain._" The Comm Officer finished.

'_Okay, so find an artifact and keep bad guys away from it before doom falls on us, while I'm being watched by a creepy turian with a steel rod up his ass to see if I'm worthy to join his little club. And to top it all off, a big ass bug suddenly appears out of nowhere. What else? Will Nihlus make me undergo crazy razings out of a frat or sorority pledgie nightmare? Because if there is, I refuse to do anything naked. __It's enough I've already endured a long string of humiliation and embarrassments from Alliance ROTC and N7 bootcamp._'

"A small strike team can move quickly without drawing attention. It's our best chance to secure the beacon." Nihlus said breaking the Commander from her thoughts.

'_How about I run your plated, rod embedded ass with my tank? Did you just **see** the size of that machine? Are you saying we don't need a Mako for that? Are SpecTRes usually this crazy?_'

'_You'd fit right in, you're crazy yourself too._'

'_The stunts I've pulled were necessary! And news flash; no one got hurt!_'

'_Yeah, but did you see their faces? They were all scared shitless by the time you were done._'

'_Silence!_'

"Grab your gear and meet us in the cargo hold." Anderson stated.

Nihlus acknowledged with a slight nod and quietly left the room to his destination.

"Tell Alenko and Jenkins to suit up, Commander. You're going in." Anderson finally ordered his disquieted XO.

The only thing the Commander did was stared at Anderson and then back to the stilled image. The longer she stared at the it, the more unsettled Heidi became, as if this will lead to something bigger than just retrieving an old artifact.

'_I hate it when I get hunches like these...because most likely, I am right. *Sigh* Here's to hoping I am wrong._' Heidi thought to herself as she quickly marched out of the Conference Room.

* * *

Corporal Jenkins died during their first encounter to the assailants of the colony; Robots. The modified ammo ripped through his shields; the shots warped and sheared his armor like butter. He never stood a chance.

The young Commander didn't like having anyone under her command dead. Who wouldn't? She practically pulled insane maneuvers to risk herself in Elysium just to make sure her men and the colonists stay alive. But with the current mission, being less intensive than the battle she won single-handedly, had struck a dent to her pride. Has she lost her touch or some sort? Age finally catching up to her?

'_29 is __**not**__ old! I'm still in my prime._' Heidi gritted her teeth.

'_According to your Asian relatives, you're an old maid. Does that help?_' Her conscience whispered.

'_It's not making me feel any better._'

'_Just stating the facts._'

'_Be quiet if you aren't going to help._'

Along the way, Heidi was grateful to at least find a survivor from the transmission vid; the marine donned in the phoenix armor, Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams. The CNO was gratified with the assistance of the Normandy ground team, but was a little shaken the moment the Commander mentioned about her squad, the 212.

The Gunnery Chief was the only one that was left, and the look in her eyes said she wished she would've done more to spare her squad.

'_See? You're not the only one.'_ Pointed out her super-ego.

'_Are you kidding? She lost a whole squad. I'd have been devastated!_'

'_Yeah, but numbers aside, would you put their deaths in vain?_'

'_I...No...No I wouldn't._'

'_Atta girl! Now you're getting the idea! So what are you waiting for? The ground to eat you? Go take care of business!_'

Even though Heidi usually received a lot of grief from her conscience, there were moments like these where it would give her motivation and good advice based on common sense usually overlooked by the Commander's constant stress. (_But who are we kidding? She's just so used to building herself up and tearing it down. Just to keep her emotions in check. She really needs to stop before it gets too unhealthy and starts talking out-loud and seeing strange images..._)

Heidi ensured Williams she'd had done all she could to hold the position and protect the colonist. That their deaths weren't her fault, that her being alive and living to ensure the colonists' safety wouldn't place the 212's sacrifice for naught. Williams looked up at the Commander, feeling renewed of her purpose.

Before heading out to their rendezvous point, the NCO revealed their assailants where the Geth that stayed within the Perseus Veil 200 years ago.

The Geth weren't like any opponent they've ever faced; they had advanced shielding, tough armor, better weaponry, and proved a lot harder to take down.

'_And after 200 years, why are they here now? For the same reasons why we're here? The beacon?_'

"Alright! Move out!" Heidi ordered her squad.

'_Just a little more to get close to home! Williams said it's just ahead._' Heidi mused to herself, darting to their objective.

Upon arrival they were met with an empty burial ground where the beacon once stood. Williams ran to the immediate area, dubiously searching the are for the artifact.

"This is the dig site. The beacon was right here. It must've been moved." Ashley said turning to the Commander and Lieutenant.

'_Or maybe not..._'

"By who? Our side? Or the Geth?" Kaidan questioned.

"Hard to say. Maybe we'll know more after we check out the research camp." Ashley pointed to a path following a ridge.

The three took no hesitations to double time up the path to the scientist's camp. Once there, the transmission vid the Commander watched didn't prepare her for what she saw, not even one bit.

Geth were gathering the unconscious humans; colonists and scientists alike, and held them hostage in a very disturbing way; piled them up and forced them into zombified monsters by impaling them on extending cybernetic pikes. The ones that were fully turned were lowered from the towering poles, suddenly coming back to life. The Commander and her squad were forced to take action the moment the 'undead' charged after them.

"Oh, God! They're still alive!" Kaidan yelled.

Ashley quickly pulled out her rifle. "What did the Geth do to them?"

The three marines positioned themselves behind the large pieces of rubble in the research camp as Kaidan and Ashley waited further orders from Shepard.

"Alright. Alenko, keep the Geth from sticking more bodies on that thing and ready the first aid. Williams, take down the geth firing at us before you get to the zombies. I'll make sure nobody gets close."

"Oo-rah, Commander!" Kaidan and Ashley acknowledged together.

The three separated across the large mounds of rubble to widen their range of fire. Heidi was the first start by activating her barriers and began shooting loud rounds of her shotgun.

"This is unbelievable! Like; '_straight out of a zombie movie,_' unbelievable!" Hollered Williams through the firing noise of her assault rifle.

"Do you think we'll also turn if they spat or bleed on us?" Kaidan stated, his voice laced with shock knowing that their own people were turned against them. He launched a biotic throw at a nearby Geth trying to impale another human body.

"Hopefully that's just in the movies. But don't take any chances, Lieutenant." Heidi yelled trying to make sure her words didn't drown from the noises of shrieking undead and bursts from fired ammo.

"Well, if any of you get in contact and start to turn, you can trust me to end your suffering." Quipped Kaidan trying to light up the mood a little with a small smirk.

"Duly noted." Heidi answered, unsure whether she'd be relieved or cynical about it.

"To tell you the truth Lieutenant, if I have to choose how to be turned, I'd rather be shish-kebabed than to die a slow, painful death by infection." Threw a grenade at a hiding geth the NCO had grown frustrated over trying to shoot down before her assault rifle overheated.

"How about none of the above?" An explosion interrupted their conversation before Heidi continued. "...I very much like to stay alive and be myself." The Commander stated rather playfully with a straight face after waiting for her shotgun to cooldown. She quickly threw a biotic warp at an advancing undead.

Ashley ducked from a launched heavy weapon. "Man, why can't this just be a pirate raid? Or a merc assault? You know something more routine than a zombie and robot invasion? Because I don't feel at all great knowing I'm shooting colonists or members of my 212 squad."

Kaidan stands from his cover to overload a couple of geth cooling down their weapons and began shooting them with his pistol. "Same could've been said during the First Contact with the turians and all other alien life forms. But hey, when is everything ever normal?"

"Heh, especially in the Alliance." Sighed Heidi as she stood from cover and primed her biotics. "INCOMING!" With a flash, the Commander disappeared leaving a long trail of blue sparks and charged at the small group of husks a few dozen feet away. Her action knocked them out like bowling pins and smashed the remaining ones to bits with her shotgun before it overheated again. Once finished with her incursion, she looked around her immediate area for any nearby threats. "Clear!"

"All clear on my area!" Kaidan said as he holstered his pistol.

"Wait! There's one in my sight!" Ashley yelled, switching from assault to sniper rifle.

Heidi turned to the direction Ashley was aiming at. There a lone geth stood afar from them at another ridge. Instead of just moving for cover and shooting its rifle, it just stood there, using its firearm instead to scope in on the 3 Alliance marines. Simply observing them.

Suddenly the synthetic lowered its weapon and turned to walk away. No more than a split second later its upper quadrant exploded. The long synthesized '_scream_' it made indicated its massive damage and fell to the other side of the ridge, out of the marines' site.

Ashley holstered her weapon and got out of cover. "That's it, bag'em and tag'em."

Heidi sighed. She couldn't help but feel more concern for what's ahead. "Alright, let's move out." She waved an arm for her squad to follow her to their next destination.

* * *

Shepard stepped off the train slowly into the upper space-port and searched the perimeter with her shotgun ready to fire.

'_First, a mad scientist says 'It's the end of the galaxy.' or some along those lines. I think the zombie thing just went __**way**__ over his head. Second, the beacon was moved all the way here and almost got lost on the way. Quite the leader you are, Heidi. I think I'm really losing my touch. Third, that large robo-insect (God, the colossal size of that thing!) left before we can even find out what it is, leaving even more Geth behind for us to clean up after. Fourth, __NIHLUS IS DEAD. By another lone turian! Whatever happened to SpecTRes being worth a platoon strong? My hide is gonna be skinned for sure. What else is there to add into this?_'

She almost gave into conniption and gasped when Kaidan suddenly shouted from behind her.

"Demolition charges!"

Omni-tool activated while cursing her irritating Lieutenant under her breath, Heidi scanned the vicinity. There are 4 large explosives scattered around the immediate area ready to detonate in 5 minutes.

'_Annnd fifth! We're going to be blown sky-high._' She quickly tended to the nearest explosive in attempt to disarm it.

"The geth must have planted them." Kaidan quickly said as he covered the Commander.

"Hurry! We need to find them all and shut'em down! I'll go ahead and clear the way!" Ashley added while running up one of the space-port's ascending platforms.

'_The Geth must really, REALLY want that beacon. Are they planning to use whatever information it has to cause a wide scale war against the Quarians or, God forbid, the galaxy? Did they get bored (__**Can**__ they get bored?) or something after 200 years of having a planet all to themselves? I mean, it took us humans like what? 2 something million years until we got bored with Earth?_'

The Commander ran up the platforms and followed Ashley who found the 2nd explosive. The Gunnery Chief was stuck between disarming it and shooting her assailants.

"I'll take over, Williams. Keep me covered."

"You got it, Commander."

'_I mean, it's understandable if it's a few tens of thousands of years. But 200?' _Heidi continued thinking as she quickly ran a diagnostic on her omni-tool.

_ 'Aren't synthetics or AIs in general supposed to not care about time all too much? I mean they can't reproduce; they're completely left alone from the rest of the galaxy and there is no need to feel threatened for their own survival if they were able to kick out their masters the home planet. Plus they don't waste too much on resources since they're mainly kept alive by electricity or something of the like. I'm sure they're smart enough to have some source of renewable source of energy._'

A couple of shots from a heavy weapon exploded nearby, pieces of debris from the space-port's structure rained from above, but fortunately the larger fragments missed the squadmates. Heidi turns off her omni-tool and begins rewiring the demolition.

'_Yet again, synthetics aren't exactly us. They probably have different...beliefs? Cultures? Lifestyle? (Aww, to hell with it!) They probably have different shit than we do. It'd be nice though if we can at least talk things out. Maybe they're just curious of what life outside the Veil is like, yet still vigilant or confused (Or whatever 'emotions' they inhibit.) that all of us other alien races might be the same threat as the Quarians._'

Another explosion erupted, causing bigger pieces of the space port to collapse on them as the marines took cover, briefly taking time away from the Commander to disarm the charge faster.

'_Holy shit, Heidi! Why are you worrying about them when they're practically trying to splatter your bodies all over this damned planet?!_'

'_I don't know! Maybe it's because I have an engineer mother with strange compassionate ideals that has a habit of rubbing off on me. Just be glad I'm not pondering all this while rocking myself in fetal position!'_ Heidi retorted back at her super ego while cutting certain pieces of wires.

The explosive beeped and a message popped up on screen indicating its disarmed. Heidi turned to her omni-tool and darted to the 3rd one; but the closer she got the more distorted the map image became. The Commander took cover at the nearest corner and pulled up another screen to contact the Normandy and have the Ensign Comm Officer clear the image...that is, until she remembered one of the Captain's orders;

"_...I want radio silence._"

'_Damn it all to hell, Anderson-!_'

Before she could finish off that mental sentence, she used what's left of her sanity to breathe evenly and bring up the photographic memory of the map with the 2 remaining blips. While trying to 'process' the image in her head, the Commander took the time to be grateful for her ability to recall memories or depictions that most people would forget. This has saved her a lot of troublesome times. Especially when reviewing for written tests...

'_Yes, yes, I'm quite a rascal in that department, I admit. But in its other uses, it's invaluable._'

'_Like perfectly recalling that cute spacer's ass you saw at the Citadel a couple of months back whenever you felt lonely?_ Interrupted Inner-Heidi.

'_Why you motherf-! Now I have to rethink everything again! Why do you do this to me?!_'

After 5 seconds had passed since her '_meditation_', Heidi's bright green eyes opened in renewed confidence and locked on to the position of the 3rd explosive; shooting and taking cover on her way.

The Geth were hitting harder this time. The air around the marines intensified with raining bullets and explosives, trying to discern the relentless Commander from getting any closer to the visible 3rd demolition charge. Before she could cover several dozen feet towards the explosive, Heidi's peripheral vision caught the sight of Ashley falling from heavy fire. Instantly turning on her heel without tripping herself, she went for the fallen squad member and pulled her to cover.

'_No! Not this time! I won't lose another one!_'

With a bleep of her omni-tool Heidi administered as much of the medi-gel as she could to heal and rouse the Gunnery Chief. Its effects were working; her wound enveloped by the transparent-shifting-to-a-solid-blue adhesive, (_indicating its current process of healing factors._) but Ashley has yet to open her eyes.

'_C'mon, Williams! I know you're one of them tough chicks! You can do this!_'

A small window suddenly popped out on her omni-tool; 2 minutes and 14 seconds before detonation. Distraught immediately struck Heidi as Ashley hasn't awoken from unconsciousness and her vital signs began to wane. Only one thing came to the Commander's mind, the urge to engulf herself in biotic essence enveloped her.

'_Desperate times call for desperate measures._'

With hands raised above the Gunnery Chief's mid section, she took a deep breath through gritted teeth and did what was least expected by most biotics; Make-shift defibrillation that practically masked up what was really a form of a major '_shake and wake'em_' pulse.

Ashley suddenly woke up from the sudden force coursing through her body, immediately drawing breath and carefully putting herself to her side; gasping and holding her injured side.

'_Haha! Ooh, my God, it worked! I'm Commander Shepard, and I'm awesome!_' Heidi sang-songed inwardly. "About time, Gunnery Chief!" She grunted with a small smile while helping Ashley sit up.

"Thanks Commander." Picks up her rifle. "I'll be okay, now let's take care of these bastards!"

"Got that right." Heidi gave a quick pat on Ashley's shoulder before focusing her sights to the nearby explosive. Using her biotic charge, she made it to her target and began her efforts to disarm it.

'_C'mon, Heidi! Third time's a charm, I should've gotten this by now! We only have less than a minute and 30 seconds._'

"Shepard, we don't have much time! You should've just left Williams for me to patch up."

"You were nowhere to be found, Lieutenant!" She yelled back, annoyance tinged in her voice. "How about being helpful for this one part and finish this explosive for me while I go find the last one? You're our closest thing to an **engineer** aren't you?!"

Sighing with a heavy brow and feeling a little guilty, despite being overwhelmed by the amount of Geth forces drowning them out, Kaidan left his cover and ran towards the Commander taking over her position. After yelling at Ashley to keep her covered, Heidi darted to the final location of the last demolition charge.

'_Holy shit, this one's different from the last 3! And it's handmade...robot made...manufactured(?)...make-shift! (Whatever it's called if it's made by the hands of AIs.) It's a good strategy, though; Make the disarmer feel confident and memorize the last three then thump them on the last one. But still!_'

Scanning the explosive with her omni-tool, Heidi had little more than 45 seconds before she and her team were fried to a crisp. Her old N7 drill instructor, who happened to be her own grandmother, would've given Heidi a **whole** lot of grief if the old broad were to see her '_precious_' granddaughter right about now...saying she'd have finished this mission in half the time with one eye and kept the SpecTRe in one piece.

'_Maybe they should've chosen her to be the first human SpecTRe instead._' Heidi half grinned at the concept of an old lady running lose in the galaxy kicking more butt instead of the ones she's kicking at N7 bootcamp.

She found the wire she's been calmly, yet frantically been looking for and pulled it from its outlet. Gasping out a breath of relief, she looked at the small screen. A lump immediately formed in her throat causing her '_relief breathing_' to a stopping, snorting halt with her eyes shot wide open. The panel was still counting down. 22 seconds before detonation!

Kaidan had long finished disarming his and assisted Ashley and taking down the last Geth squad. The two marines quickly took cover nearby Heidi.

"Commander! How's it looking?" Ashley yelled through the loud sounds of heavy fire from their assailants.

"It's all under control, don't worry!" Heidi responded, as calmly as she can muster while reviewing her disarming method. '_Ha! You're such a comedian, Heidi. Knock'em dead!_'

'_...Knock'em dead..._' She repeated in her mind as if it gave her an epiphany.

The Commander herself stood up and executed another action that **most** people won't do as she looked down at the explosive.

Once Alenko and Williams finished off the remaining Geth, the Lieutenant lowered his pistol and immediately eyed the N7 Operative.

"Commander! What are you doing?!" Screamed Kaidan, his voice edged with horror as he watched the crazy woman lifted her right knee to her chest and threw her heel down heavily at the massive explosive.

**TKLANG!**

The sound echoed throughout the space-port...

And the only thing Ashley and Kaidan could muster was to say their prayers; hoping all their sins have been forgiven before dying the most shameful and belittling death ever to greet them.

All thanks to their insane squad leader.

...

!

Heidi slowly opened her eyes and looked down to the charge she plunked. Lifting her foot off the cracked screen she saw 4 digits frozen on its flickering display; **00:07.**

In a beat, the Commander collapsed in front of the crushed explosive with one of her arms hanging on top of it. Heidi swore she felt her soul slowly float away from her mouth and her color leaving her.

"Holy shit, Commander-! You...y-you...!" Ashley tried to finish without frantically panicking like an idiot in front of everybody.

"W-...I!...What the **hell**, Shepard!?" Kaidan choked out loud, his voice an octave higher than it should be as he tried to keep his heart from getting stuck on his throat. The poor sod tried his hardest not to flail arms in the air trying to fully describe the sheer absurdity done by his Commander.

"I know, **Lieutenant**. I know! But it worked, and we're alive." Heidi retorted, suddenly feeling her body melt right through the floors of the space-port platform to whatever undiscovered Prothean ruin, artifact, or grave she can rest in peace with underground.

"Y-you're the craziest woman I've **ever** met. But you're one lucky SOB, ma'am!" Ashley said struggling to even the terrified quivers in her breath. She lent a hand to Heidi and pulled her up. "Anyways, the beacon is just ahead!" Chirps on her omni-tool and pressed a few buttons. "There's one more Geth squad, then its mission accomplished." Ashley quickly reported. A weary happiness in her tone.

'_C'mon Heidi, just one more hill to take! This should be nothing to you! You're a Goddamned N7 for crying out loud!_' Motivated the Commander's conscience.

'_No, no. It's not that. I can handle fighting more robots and zombies. I...I just can't believe I kicked a bomb...I think. I just gave myself. A hemorrhoid._' She thought as she stood trying to gather her mental bearings.

'_Didn't I mention anything 'necessary' you've done has scared people shitless? See, I told you you'd fit right in with the SpecTRes._'

'_Shut up, smartass._'

Heidi quickly shook her head, bucked up and took lead to their destination. The moment she took a foot off the stairs to the main platform, a husk ran haphazardly at Heidi.

She struck the pommel of her shotgun on its shoulder before re-aligned the point of her weapon point blank to its face. By the time a shot could be made, the undead's body glowed and exploded right in front of her. The HUD visor on her helmet alarmed that her shields where heavily breached.

"Shepard!" Ashley said catching the slightly bewildered Commander away from open fire.

"Argh!" Heidi roared quickly whipping her head to keep focused. "Don't let those zombies touch or get close to you! They'll overload your shields!"

"So, does that mean you'll turn?" Kaidan quipped as he quickly applied medi-gel to the Commander's side where her armor's been cracked open.

"I'll throw myself off the highest port the moment I start shrieking like them. How does that sound?" Heidi snarked between shots and firing a biotic warp at the opposing team.

After several minutes of taking out all the Husks and the Geth Troopers; a Geth Shock Trooper and a Geth Sniper were the only ones left protecting the beacon. The sniper was well protected by the many crates it housed itself in while the shock trooper was advancing behind it, shooting at the Alliance Marines.

First, Heidi and Kaidan focused on shooting the shock trooper while Ashley answered the sniper shots back with hers, but it proved futile as the shock trooper continuously launched its heavy weapon, momentarily stopping the squadmates in their pursuit while the sniper took that advantage to calculate its precise headshots on those who left themselves exposed.

The Geth Sniper was close in getting Ashley's and Heidi's head only to have the former's shields protect her while the latter's helmet was only grazed. Taking cover from the synthetics' relentless onslaughts, Heidi took a moment to formulate her next move...

'_The large one obviously is hard to knock down given our distance. Pistols and shotguns don't stand a chance against that._'

Heidi carefully takes a sideward glance at the Geth Sniper, vigilantly keeping tabs on anyone exposing themselves.

'_And Ashley's busy keeping an eye out on that guy. The sniper is heavily guarded on the front, but is exposed in the back._'

Thinking about it, it wasn't long before an idea popped into the N7's head.

'_Gotcha._'

Turned and pointed at her Lieutenant. "Kaidan! On my command, use a biotic pull at that large piece of shit." She grabs the Gunnery Chief by the opening of her helmet as she laid in her orders. "Ashley, keep firing at that sniper and keep it ducked for as long as you can." She releases her grip on Ashley.

"Yes, Commander!" Replied the NCO as she laid low and focused the sights on her sniper rifle to her intended target.

Heidi carefully returned to her sideward glance and waited for the Shock Trooper to walk in a bit closer to the Sniper.

"Now, Kaidan!"

He immediately gets up from his cover and throws his biotic projectile. Fortunately, Ashley was able to keep the Sniper hidden by firing random intervals of shots.

Once the large white geth was lifted from the ground, Heidi quickly activated a small grenade from her utility belt.

"Got me covered, Ash?"

"You got it, ma'am!"

The Commander stands from cover and gripped the grenade comfortably into her fingers as she shifted her shoulders. Closing her eyes, and taking a deep breath, the Commander threw the grenade with all her might at the haplessly floating Shock Trooper being pulled towards the Sniper's direction.

'_Success!_' Heidi thought to herself as she lifts and balls the fist of her dominant hand and swung her arm down in victory.

The Geth Shock Trooper was finally pulled against the Sniper, surprising the smaller synthetic with the proximity. The large crates around the remaining robots collapsed after a giant BOOM!

The impact almost caused crates nearby the beacon to slide right at it, but fortunately Commander Shepard was able to use her biotics to push away any contents from the blast away from the artifact.

"Perimeter secured." Confirmed Ashley.

"Finally." Heidi sighed and stopped a few meters away from the Prothean relic, noticing the strange green, smoke-like substance coming off it the closer they got. Pressing on the radio on the side of her helmet she turns to the direction the Normandy dropped them off at and waited for an established connection.

"Normandy, the beacon is secure. Request immediate evac."

A seconds later a soft voice of the young woman who Heidi only came to know as, '_the Ensign_' hailed a reply.

"_Acknowledged. Tracking down your coordinates. Do you need emergency medical assistance?_"

"Just to pick up Corporal Jenkins and that SpecTRe, Nihlus. They're both KIA. Also we've pick up a marine from the squad on that vid you cleaned up. She's coming with us until we can find out what we can do with her."

There was a brief silence from the Ensign...

"_Understood. The shuttle is on its way, Commander._"

"Roger, Normandy. Standing by." Heidi turned her sights back to the beacon and saw that it started to glow brighter, hum louder and fully enveloped in green light the more Kaidan got close to see the artifact.

'_Goddammit, what now-?!_' Heidi shrieked inwardly and bolted towards her Lieutenant who was slowly being dragged towards the beacon.

* * *

A/N: Hi everyone! First of all, I apologize for my lack of a better description to my story as this is my first time writing a fanfic. So please bear with me, hopefully I'll get better in time. ^_^ I've planned this fic for years and years! I didn't want to start it until I played the trilogy including DLCs.

No words could express my love for this videogame and the characters; It's all so exciting, thrilling, witty, sad and heartwarming. And now I want to share my version of it to you all!

I apologise if things start slow, but I promise the humor and the plentiful group banters/bickering will get its rise.

I plan to add in some non-canon works between the story while keeping close to canon as possible. (Let's just say there were some things I wished Bioware added in the games I think the characters would've gotten themselves into...Lol)

As you may notice (Or haven't) from the tag, I've dropped in an NPC who wasn't originally supposed to make a debut until later. It's to let her fans know I'm putting her in the story, plus, I've always wondered what kind of impact she'd have with Shepard if she stuck around like how Joker or Dr. Chakwas did.

Thank you for your time to read my fic! Critiques are welcomed and ideas from fellow M.E. fans is a refreshing breath of air for me! Take care everyone!

~SiraSira


	2. A Prelude To It All

**DISCLAIMER** - I don't own or profit from anything used or mentioned in Mass Effect. I am just a simple fan who loves the series and its characters.

**GENRE** - Humor/Drama; AU, slightly OOC, slight parody, OC coming in the future and A LOT of trash-throwing banters. Rated M for future adult content

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO - ****A PRELUDE TO IT ALL**

* * *

"_Normandy! This is Lieutenant Alenko from the ground party. The Commander was injured and is currently unresponsive! Get the med staff ready for us to take Shepard in!_"

"What in blazes happened?" The Comm Officer whispered ominously. She pressed a button on her earpiece and responded. "Acknowledged, 1st Lieutenant!"

She brought up several windows from her console interface and activated emergency notices for med-bay employees to man their positions and then synchronized her earpiece to the overhead speakers, seemingly cursing herself inwardly for not preparing an emergency announcement by VI beforehand. The young woman took a moment to herself as she waited for the synchronization process to complete. She took a deep, closed her eyes and took a long stuttering breath...

'_C'mon old girl, you can do this!_' She exhaled her fears, opened her eyes and took a dive for it.

"Attention all medical personnel; please report to the med-bay to prepare for an incoming emergency response." She briefly muted her earpiece to swallow a large lump that rapidly grew in her throat. The Comm Officer silently praised herself that her announcement went smoothly on the first try. "I repeat, all medical personnel-" She suddenly choked a gasp.

The reason behind it was because she forgot to unmute her earpiece. She then again silently praised herself (_sarcastically this time_.) because she had to start again. She pressed the unmute button and began mentally kicking herself exclaiming the word '_shit_' a couple of times in her head. She began again…

"I repeat: All medical personnel; Please report to the med-bay to prepare for an incoming emergency response."

The nervous Ensign slowly lifted her eyes to the whole room, as if expecting people around her to stand and stare at her dubiously for the delayed repeat of her announcement…but fortunately the urgency of the situation had everybody either zipping to and fro the CIC or preoccupied with their computing stations.

She leaned her hands against her terminal stationed around the galaxy map. She hung her head and softly groaned the word '_Tatti_', a curse from her native tongue. While collecting herself, she was equal parts relieved that she breezed through her announcement without so much as a stutter and yet weary about her oratory anxiety. After her quick recovery, she began to compose an urgent notice to Captain Anderson about the status change.

'_Quite the communications expert I bloody turned out to be. Suddenly I fear I'm going to get a lot of heartaches for my fear of public speaking..._' The young Ensign mulled over before an incoming personal intercom window instantly popped up on-screen, taking her attention away from the task at hand.

"_Hey! Call Girl!_" An obnoxious, yet playful voice noisily alleged through her console.

'**_Especially_**_ from him. And what's with the nickname? I'm pretty sure everyone heard that. Damn him._' She sighed, slightly annoyed at the voice calling her. "Yes, Lieutenant JG Moreau?" She replied trying to sound calm and turned down the receiver's voice volume from her personal intercom.

"_The hell was that all about? What happened? And it's Joker by the way._" He said ever so casually to the young woman he only knew for nearly a week.

'_What? Wait. Did I utter 'shit' on the overhead while I was recovering myself? I was certain I didn't bloody say it out loud! I need to pay more attention to what I say or think when I use this blooming ear-piece._' She grimaced, adjusting her earpiece "About the medical emergency?" She said hoping to keep things subtle and stray away from the subject in her head before the Flight Lieutenant picks up on it.

"_No, it's about that long pause you did before repeating your announcement. Did you croak? Ha, ha! You slipped up or something? Kinda? Sorta? That's __**pret-ty **__**unsuitable**__ for a Comm Officer._" Joker threw in, expressing his itch to toss a joke about the poor Ensign.

'_And here we go..._' The young woman deadpanned in her head as she momentarily reminded herself why she ended up from being a laboratory tech expert in a space station to a Communications Officer aboard a ship.

It was one thing to assemble, fix, upgrade and operate communication systems and a few choice software or hardware operating systems; it was her specialty. But getting into the role of a Comm Officer, though a little easier than memorizing the technology inside and out, was another thing; the differences being the amount of interaction with people...a LOT of people, including her leading a handful of non-commissioned Communications Experts older and more experienced than herself. She felt as if though they've got better things to than to waste it with someone who looked like a little girl.

Other than getting used to conducting and supervising her small brigade of Comm Experts, she'd rather accomplish her job cleaning up video feeds, clearing audio and encrypting outgoing or decrypting incoming messages in a separate room without having to rouse the attention of the whole ship out in the open to herself. But knowing the Flight Lieutenant's reputation to make anybody the butt of jokes from any weaknesses they revealed to him, she chose instead to keep her introverted preferences a secret.

"I've done exactly what's in protocol. Are you saying you can do better, **sir**?" The Ensign said adding an emphasis on '_sir_'.

"_You know I can. 'Cuz you know why_?" Joker stated rather animatedly.

'_Because you have a terrible case of diarrhea in the mouth?_' She so wanted to say that badly, but instead she dryly answered back a, "No, sir. Why?"

"_Because I have a pretty damned sexy voice! That's why!_"

'_The blasted VI has a sexier voice than you do._' She thought bleakly. The last thing in her '_oh-so-fun-list-of-what-to-do-in-the-Normandy_' is to get in trouble for being a smart aleck to a senior officer she barely knew. "That's quite charming, sir." The Ensign replied, trying to keep as professional as possible and hoping her plan to reply as boorishly as she can would bore and shoo away the Flight Lieutenant.

"_Of course it is!_" Joker jibbed back.

'_Yes, so charming that I've been reduced to a shivering puddle of goo all over the CIC. Now I don't know what to do with myself._' She pondered sighing to herself as she tried remembering what she the hell she was supposed to do before Joker interrupted her until…

"Ensign Traynor." An authoritative male's voice spoke beside her.

With a jerk, the Comm Officer looked up from her console and saw the Captain himself with his hands crossed behind him and with a stern look in his eyes. Traynor quickly salutes, trying hard to hold down a panic attack. At that moment, she swore she'd literally become a shivering puddle (_Of panic, of course._) if the Captain kept up with reappearing and disappearing like a magician.

"C-captain Anderson." She acknowledged, quickly fixing herself in attention.

"I heard your call for an emergency response. What's going on?" A heavy brow and a locked jaw formed on the Captain's strong features.

Then it dawned on her. The urgent notice she was supposed to compose to Anderson about the arriving ground team, but instead she was caught looking like she's been bullshitting from her work. **Not** a very good impression for her first mission…

"I'm sorry, Captain. I-I was in the middle of trying to reach you, but I was just worried about...the situation." Traynor managed to say without stuttering **every** word and hoped it came off as convincing. She wasn't used to the sudden changes in her working environment, especially with a jestering pilot always '_popping in_' and taking her attention away from her job. But she wasn't the type that liked to snitch, no, she'd preferred to talk straight to the source and take care of business, and if that didn't work…then snitch it is.

"Status report." Anderson said quickly and severely, and...Did he look worried?

'_Right, yes. Straight to the point before I piss him off even more._' She quickly contemplated, trying to fight the notion of a punishment coming her way.

Swiftly and clearly she recited all knew about the ground party; How Shepard found the last survivor of the Alliance squad in the transmission video, to the deaths of Jenkins and Nihlus and the Commander being in critical condition shortly after acquiring the beacon.

Anderson managed a straight face through it all, leaving the poor Comm Officer hanging in a thin thread that is her mental life saver, keeping her afloat from drowning in the awkward silence. Before that thread snapped he turned his head away in thought and rubbed a hand behind his neck.

If the Captain didn't know any better, the young woman slightly lowered her head and softly let out a controlled breath she held throughout the rather intimidating CO's stare down and lifted a hand to grip the chest of her uniform.

Usually, Traynor was good when it came to formal or most casual one-on-one conversations (_And of course with a group of good company._). She'd stuck it up like a pro; always knowing what to say and sometimes throwing in some witty remarks here or there to break the ice. But in this case, in front of someone as illustrious and somber as Captain Anderson, she knew better to hold her tongue.

Having been told about the war hero's firm leadership, disciplined aura and his unyielding ferocity in many a battle; Traynor developed a predetermined fear if she so much as messed up or say something wrong to provoke the Captain, she'd receive a disciplinary action right out of a 16th century nightmare...Like being flogged. Or worst, scrubbing the poop deck. Which she expected for her failed attempt to address an important protocol such as notifying the Captain that his XO might be dying before arriving onboard.

'_Alright, let's get it started. Where can I find a new toothbrush and pail? No way in hell I'm using mine._' Traynor thought over; wearily ready to take responsibility for her actions.

Anderson met his Comm Officer's eyes again. "I'll conduct an emergency meeting with all Officer Staff after I do a little investigating. Can you send the messages and arrange it at 1900 in the Comm Room?"

She immediately pulled up a composition from her terminal. "All officer staff, 1900 at the Comm Room. Anything else, sir?" The Ensign said while typing and keeping eye contact with the Captain.

"You're doing fine, Ensign. Just keep focused. As you were." He briskly marched straight to the doors leading to the medbay.

"Y-yes, sir. Thank you."

"_Y-yes, sir. Thank you_." Joker mocked in his horribly, squeaky girly-girl voice through the intercom interface. "_What the hell was that all about? You sound like a frightened deer._"

"Lieutenant, please I've got a lot of work to do. I feel bad he might've thought I was messing around." Traynor alleged sounding rather annoyed.

"_Messing around? I notice he's less of a hard ass when he's with you compared to me! And if you ask me, I don't think he'd mind a cutie like you 'messing around'._" He chuckled jokingly at his euphemism.

Color left the Comm Officer's complexion and later felt her blood boil at the thought of a well-meaning Captain like Anderson, would demean a subordinate like that. (_Would he? No, don't even think about it_.) Before insults formed right out of her mouth she hung up her intercom.

"Why that cocky, hasty-witted-!" She uttered under her breath, trying not to finish the sentence. "—Saala kutta!"…Correction; trying not to finish the sentence, in English at least…

Traynor continued frustratingly to focus on the task at hand to erase Joker's quip from her mind. She hasn't met anyone like Joker in a long while who gave her such a hard time like he did; the last one being in her high school years.

Looking over the finalized draft of the message and feeling satisfied with its contents, she pressed the send button before tending to her other duties.

"..._You're doing fine, Ensign._" Traynor recalled Anderson's words.

'_Fine as in; I really did what I could despite my *ahem* interruption? That he understands someone who hasn't obviously worked in a ship before would do tiny slip ups such as almost freezing making an announcement or forgetting to send an urgent notice? That I wasn't a crazy, disobedient, spacer who'd take advantage of all the communication and intel clearances I have under my fingertips to hack out classified Alliance files and sell them to the Shadow Broker for a decent bit of credits? (It's not as if I can't hack worth a damn.)_' Traynor reflected to herself rather sarcastically and stopped what she was doing for a moment to rethink her thoughts.

After quickly weighing her options she shook her head and gave herself a deep sigh. _'I think I'm just getting it all in my head. I received not a flogging, no? And things have just started; I should at least give it a breathing chance before I start any official critiquing.'_ Traynor gave herself a small smile and continued on her duties on her station, hoping the long hours ahead will give her time to enjoy the moment to herself. At least without getting into more trouble or misunderstandings...

'_It could be worth the experience. And I'm always open to new challenges, aren't I? Now's my chance! Who knows, maybe I'll learn to love it._'

"_Hey! Why'd you hang up on me? You know how rude that was?_" Joker blared through the intercom pop-up window, as if on cue.

'_If I can survive this __**insufferable**__ man first..._' She groaned to herself.

1841 and every leading officer onboard crowded the Comm Room, filling it with concerns over the situation in Eden Prime along with the sad amount of betting pools and gossip mongering within their '_cliques_'. Traynor entered and saw a group of 3 smiling male officers located on the farthest row of seats to her left, talking about the new marine chief that had just joined their crew roster and noted how '_physically fit_' and '_able bodied_' she was.

'_Boys will always be boys._' The young Ensign gave a feeble half-smile and slowly shook her head hopelessly at her trio male superiors.

On her right she found a row of seats adorning the circular shape of the area and quietly sat down. She held up a datapad she took with her to keep herself busy with some extra work while awaiting for the Captain's next reappearing act that will probably catch Traynor off-guard once again.

Thinking about it, she hasn't heard from Anderson all day, let alone for a brief moment when he asked her to verify clearance and send a heavily encrypted message for him to all 3 members of the Citadel Council. She began to wonder if everything was alright.

With a tap on the screen of her datapad, she couldn't help but feel out of her element; sure she had ridden many ships before, but only for trips between Horizon, Earth or other Space Stations. Being stationed on the Normandy was her first assigned stay on a ship. And a warship at that. She no longer was around a crew full of fellow tech scientists she grew accustomed to, no. She's mixed in with marines, spacers, weapons experts, pilots, mechanics and 2 war heroes for a CO and XO. It was all a cluster of the Alliance that is the front lines; where surprises jumped out at every corner before anyone was given the chance to catch their breath. Where everyone is called to arms the moment a threat invades the ship and pray one will make it out alive.

The intensity of it made Traynor's asthma want to unleash in protest. It was already hard enough knowing she didn't have any kindred spirits to keep her company; anything or anyone to keep her from feeling out of place and crawl to whatever hole she can find.

That is, if that anything or anyone didn't make her feel very uncomfortable; from across the room, she felt the eyes of the same male officers she mentally chided fall on her. She used her peripheral vision to see what they're up to; the youngest of the 3 elbowed a man sitting next to him and whispered something as the 3rd that stood behind them listened in.

Whatever the young man was saying, the smiles on the older two officers widened. Traynor kept a steady concentration on the work in front of her, making herself look as if she wasn't interested in anything mischievous or scandalous from the gentlemen. Unfortunately for the Ensign, given from the small space of the room, she can hear what they were saying...

"That's the new Comm Officer Anderson recruited. I can see why he chose her." Whispered the grinning Requisitions Officer, Germeen Barret.

"She looks **way** too young to be an Ensign." Gunnery Officer, Addison Chase said scanning the demure young woman up and down.

"What's her name?" Casually said the young Security Officer, Silas Crosby.

"Taylor? Tanner? Troyer? I don't know! How about getting off your ass and ask if you're so interested." Chase half-grinned while moving his eyebrows suggestively.

"Yeah! And no there's no one talking to her anyways. So here's your chance!" Barret muttered at the hesitating and blushing Crosby.

'_Too bad the todger doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell..._' Traynor mused as she kept her eyes on the screen.

Her heart almost went into a frightened cessation when Crosby stood up and began to walk towards her.

'_Oh, shit! He's serious? While in the middle of waiting for an important staff meeting? Your timing couldn't have been better, mister._'

Traynor calculated her thoughts trying to think up something politely to turn down the strapping Security Officer, but it proved difficult now she was able to look up from her datapad saw a full view of him. Crosby was stone jawed, tall and very brawny. Qualities that clearly prove he can easily overpower her. The Ensign had met her fair share of brawny men she had carefully turned down with her humorous, yet sharp wit, but not quite as intimidating and imposing as this one looked.

"Hey, Mary Poppins!" Yelled a rather obnoxious voice coming from the entrance of the Comm Room.

All eyes met the owner of that voice; the jestering, smirking man that is Joker. He cruised down the hallway in a small electronic wheelchair and towards the Ensign, frozen in her seat.

'_Wait, was he talking to me?_' Traynor thought as she lifted a brow dubiously at the pilot.

"Hope I haven't missed anything." Joker parked his wheelchair carefully next to the empty spot on Traynor's immediate right and took out an energy bar from a small satchel under one of his arm rests. "My replacement was taking his sweet time in the bathroom, but that's what he gets for always stealing a handicapped person's energy bar, especially with a flavor his stomach doesn't agree with. The dude thought I wasn't listening to him a couple of days back ranting about what flavors or foods made him sick." He ended with a playful chuckle.

She raised her already lifted eyebrows even higher and left her mouth agape at the eerie statement he so casually threw out. She gave herself a mental note **never** to tell him what her allergies are.

Crosby stopped in his tracks and scowled the moment the Flight Lieutenant got himself comfortably in between him and the Ensign. Joker looked up at the Security Officer through the rim of his ball-cap visor and smirked at the towering man, the gesture translating for him to keep his distance or else suffer being next on the pilot's list of eccentric pranks for messing with a handicapped person.

Traynor saw the looks the men gave each other and was grateful when the blonde officer retreated to his comfort zone that is his '_friends_' who were grinning and laughing quietly at him like idiots as he sat back down.

She let out a relieved sigh and looked at Joker who then attempted to open the wrapping with his teeth. She half-smiled thinking that even though he can be a headache most of the time, he sounded like someone she can learn to depend on when the time counted.

She leaned over to him and easily pulled apart the wrapper for the disgruntled cripple, revealing a small chocolate coated bar. He stared at his snack for a while until he looked back up to the Comm Officer as she leaned herself comfortably back into her chair and continued reading her datapad.

"How do you women do that?" Joker deadpanned while trying to feign his shame for losing to a wrapper.

"Finesse, sir."

"With the way I fly this ship, I thought I had enough finesse." Joker looked at his bar one last time before taking a big bite with a loud '_NOMF_'. "And for the umpteenth time, it's Joker. How hard is it for you to say that? Titles and the 'sir this' and 'sir that' makes me feel uneasy." He managed between chewing.

She took a sideward glance at Joker and smiled, shaking her head at his carefree behavior. "Of course, _sir_." She playfully answered as she was received with a light elbowing from the pilot.

They spent the remainder of their waiting time talking about how their day went, which the majority of it was spent with Joker attacking Traynor with his jesterly statements through the personal intercom and usually ended with an aggravated Comm Officer trying to politely open-end the conversation as the eyes in the CIC began to fall on her due to the Flight Lieutenant's loud antics. The last time she felt this awkwardly self-aware of herself was when she had to do a Valedictorian's Speech for her university **and** Alliance ROTC graduations.

It had been a long shift indeed, and Traynor wanted to spend her time off doing something calming and relaxing...but with the new friend she's made, for better or worse, it proved quite difficult to obtain such a luxury for a quiet person such as herself. But as long as she wasn't always alone in unfamiliar territory, she believed she can live with Jeff Moreau's strange, comical ways.

"First '_Call Girl_', now '_Mary Poppins?_' Where'd you come up with that?" Questioned Traynor.

"Now that I got to know you a little bit, you always seem so polite while at the same time you go ahead and destroy all my interesting topics before I even start them, like how any nanny would. And look! You're always so prim and proper! Legs crossed, back straight, shoulders pulled back, neck not drooping, uniform **always** spotless." He added pointing out every detail. "And that accent? Man, all you need to complete it right now is to get you a flying umbrella, a carpet bag and for you to sing to Dr. Chakwas about sugar making the medicine go down!"

The Ensign slowly and dubiously shook her head and gave him a thin smile. "I don't know where you make your mind wander off to, but at least it's better than '_Call Girl_'." She feared that Crosby might've thought she was that '_kind of girl_', given his immediate action to approach her. No thanks especially to Joker's big mouth yelling from her intercom and across the whole CIC.

As soon as Traynor swiped the image on the touch screen, someone yelled _'Captain on deck_!' The sudden revelation almost caused the poor woman to drop her datapad while struggling to stand from her chair. Immediately everybody but Joker (_who only sat up straight_) stood up in attention. All held a salute when Captain Anderson, with a heavy step in his walk, strode to the innermost center of the room.

The way he paced back and forth, still in his thoughts, filled the area with apprehension, especially when a solid minute had already passed. Traynor easily read the controlled grimace on the Captain's face that something went terribly wrong. She began to wonder if their XO didn't make it. It baffled her that more than one life was taken from a mission as small as a '_shakedown run_'. But adding a war hero into the count boggled her mind; A war hero who was widely known to have pulled unbelievable stunts and managed to keep Elysium in one piece.

"At ease everyone." Anderson dictated rather ruefully while still pacing.

Without a word, people sat down on their chairs or leaned against the railings of the room. Joker continued to eat his snack while he and Traynor stared at their Captain's forlorn look.

"The mission was a failure. The beacon was destroyed." The Captain declared in his monotone voice.

Traynor's eyes went wide. She clearly recalled the Commander's last radio message of securing the beacon, how was it that it got destroyed? Did it have to do with the Commander's critical condition upon arrival to the ship? Her knack for problem solving fired within her eyes.

"The Geth invaded the colony. They were after the same artifact. We don't know what their motives were or why they chose to leave the Perseus Veil at this time. But it's important we find any proof or evidence we can present to the Council that will support what happened down there and straighten things out with their help." He stopped this pacing incursion and stood in the middle of the room. "We lost a good marine, a Council SpecTRe and probably the knowledge of that artifact to the enemy since they reached to it first. I'm not going to make this sound good, but everything that happened down there will be pointed back at us if we don't find out how or why this has happened." Anderson grimly declared and turned to Navigator Pressly, who's been standing the whole time. "Pressly, cancel all rendezvous points," Then to Joker. "We'll be heading straight for the Citadel."

A man donning a black and red armor in his early 30s and a middle aged woman wearing a small lab coat was met with the Captain's unwavering gaze. "Lieutenant JG Chase and Lieutenant Commander Draven, find anything from the gear the ground party had on that will show any physical proof and support what they encountered in Eden Prime."

Then his eyes gazed at the two last women sitting next to each other, listening very carefully of what's going to be bestowed upon them. "Traynor, I'm going to leave you all the video and audio feeds from Shepard and Alenko's helm-cam. The other Comm Experts will take over your shifts at the CIC. Make sure you've scrubbed and cleared every last footage prior to arrival at the Citadel. And Chakwas, keep me posted on the Commander's condition, especially when she awakens. You will also assist Draven in finding any DNA from our new boogies. Any questions?"

Crosby, looking a bit too lax in his chair, raised a hand casually.

"Yes, 2nd Lieutenant." Anderson quickly answered.

"What would you want us in security to do?"

Anderson sighed hopelessly at the seemingly innocent notion that was obviously a dick part on the cocky Security Officer.

"To make sure I don't find you slacking off on the job again! Just because this is your first leading position doesn't mean you leave your job to your men. You have one strike left before I get our new Gunnery Chief to replace you."

Chase chuckled, elbowing the belittled Crosby who in return sneered back in response.

"Everyone else I haven't assigned will continue to resume their duties until further notice. Anymore questions?" The Captain eyed everybody in the room until he found the quiet Ensign raising her hand. "Yes, Traynor?"

"Where would you like me to clean up the video and audio?"

Traynor was taken aback when the '_Three Stooges_' softly snickered at her inquiry, as if expecting she'll get a worse response than Crosby's. She suddenly felt like she wanted to dissolve away as all eyes were now on her. As if all the eyes from the spacers and marines in the CIC weren't enough during her verbal evasion and redirection from the bickering Flight Lieutenant.

To the point, she knew it was a stupid question because she already knew where she can edit footage at, but since Anderson moved Traynor from her original comm station in the Bridge to standing by the right starboard side of the Galaxy map, for whatever apparent reason she has yet to know, didn't help her from asking the inquiry. (_While at the same time grateful for the move or else she would've suffered being in the same room with Joker throughout her entire shift._)

Anderson glared where he heard the snickering. "Take it easy, she's new."

She didn't know whether she'd be relieved Anderson stood up for her...or feel belittled from the way he emphasized, '_she's new_', as if poking fun at the newbie.

"You'll be using the Comm Room, Ensign. Lieutenant Alenko has already sent all of the footage to the console here," He walked to the terminal on the center of the room, planting a hand to the machine as his touch activated the computing interface. "I trust you know how to do the rest?"

Something in the Ensign's golden eyes beamed and a small smile crept on her lips. She answered her Captain with a direct, steadfast look in her gaze and gave him a curt nod.

"Yes, sir, I know what to do. Thank you."

"Other than that, report to me with any updates or if any of you completed what I assigned you. And most importantly, don't wear yourselves out. Since most of you just finished your shifts, you all can rest up and start tomorrow at 0700. And no working passed 2100 or 2200. That's an order." The Captain paced around again looking at every one of his Officer Staff members as if making his point crystal clear.

Everyone replied to Anderson's orders ad-lib with a "_Sir, yes sir!_"

If there's nothing else, everyone's dismissed." Anderson briskly walked up the hallway to CIC, leaving his staff to talk amongst themselves before they called it a night or proceeded on the tasks given to them.

The Comm Officer, knowing she'll be conducting the work her in the large, solitary room, was more than heaven to her ears. She was grateful to contain herself before she jumped and danced around the room hopelessly, because knowing a certain Flight Lieutenant at her side won't let her hear the end of it. Before she finished that thought, Joke spoke up with an amused look on his face.

"Have you stopped having a nerdgasm? He said between chewing. "Because I swear you just had one."

"Am I an open book all of a sudden?" Traynor picked up her datapad resting on her lap. "Or are you that good at reading people?"

"Being a cripple like me always in the sidelines learns a thing or two about observing people. But in your case, you're just an open book." He chuckled.

"What can I say? I guess it's all part of being a comm expert." Traynor lightly jested.

"I think it's all a part of being young and approachable." An older voice added.

Traynor and Joker turned to the older officer next to them. Looking at the small Marine insignia and rank pins neatly paralleled on opposite sides of their superior's high collar uniform, Traynor salutes.

"Major." She said in salutation to the older woman.

"Please, just Dr. Chakwas. I've already meet our impressionable helmsman, but I believe we haven't met yet. From what I gather you're our new Communications Officer." Chakwas presented a hand to the young woman.

"Yes, I'm Ensign Samantha Traynor." She said accepting and shook the doctor's hand.

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Ensign Traynor. I hope to see much of you, hopefully unlike our last one, Commander Lauren Valmassi, bless her soul."

"Bless her soul?" Traynor paraphrased with concern. "Might I ask what happened?"

"She died on the ship's first tour. Let's just say the last Captain got way too excited with testing the Normandy out. You and Anderson aren't the only ones new; Commander Shepard also replaced Valmassi as XO." Joker stated in that usual uninterested tone in his voice.

The Comm Officer simply stared at Joker and then to Chakwas, hoping the pilot wasn't making another joke. Much to her chagrin, the good doctor silently nodded her head, giving the young woman a look of consideration for the revelation.

"You needn't worry, dear; I've served with Anderson for years. He won't do anything reckless to endanger his crew." Chakwas soothed, trying to ease the Ensign's foreboding exasperation the Doctor suspected was born from Joker's verbal antics.

"So I heard. There's so much I've been told about the Captain. To tell you the truth, he makes me rather nervous." Traynor slightly tilted her head down and shrugged her shoulders shyly.

"The same goes for those who meet him for the first time. He's stern, yes, but once you get to know him, he's really a good man and treats his crew as if they were his own."

"Heh, somehow I get the feeling he doesn't with me. I try to be a fun guy! But he has a habit of dowsing it like Mary Poppins here." Joker said pointing a thumb at Samantha, which resulted with the Ensign glaring her amber daggers at him. She knew she can be a fun person too; she just needed time to get used to her surroundings and the people she'll be working with before unleashing her can of whoop-ass witticism.

"He does, Joker. It's in a guise called '_tough love_'." Smiled Chakwas while raising a hand at the two young officers and turned her body toward the exit. "I'd better head back to medbay, I shan't keep my patient waiting, unless the Ensign wishes to sing something concerning sugar." She kindly quipped, smiling at her fellow young Briton.

Traynor let out a sound that crossed between a rather amused gasp and an uneasy laugh while covering her mouth coyly with the datapad. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you, Doctor. I may be an expert of communication, but I'm a terrible song bird."

"I'm no song bird myself, but a little convincing and liquid courage can always change that." The Doctor stated with a rather mischievous smile and headed for the exit to the CIC. "I bid you good evening, officers." With a wave of her arm, she's left the room with the door sliding behind her.

"Quite an interesting doctor she is." Samantha said still looking out where the Doctor exited. '_And a very attractive woman at that. For her age even!_' She thought to herself.

"And that's only half of it." Joker swipes a finger on the small touchpad of his arm rest and his wheelchair began to move. "Well, I guess I'll just go back to my hole in the bridge, you know, so I can take us all to the Citadel without having the ship malfunctioning or crashing somewhere because my relief made a mess all over the cockpit and all. Cya around!"

Samantha waved and watched as he cruised through the hallway and to the exit before she turned to the terminal. Reaching into her pocket, she took out a small, shining black ring and placed it on her right index finger. Swiping her right thumb on the ring's surface, her whole hand and forearm was instantly covered with the orange glow of her omni-tool's holographic frame. She slowly waved it across the terminal until large screens and computing setting flickered on, covering almost half the room.

Samantha smiled and took a moment to take in the magnificent display. "Now you're speaking my language." The words rolled smoothly out of her mouth.

The situation the Ensign was now in was a tech nerd's wet dream; to have a room all to themselves, surrounded by advanced technology credits can buy and be left in peaceful solitude from unnecessary interruptions.

And the first thing coming to her mind was to not hold back and ravage what beauty the comm systems had to offer to her calculating mind.

"Let's see what more sweet words you can tell me." She added impishly with a smirk, starting by opening the holographic file from Kaidan she collapsed in front of her with a fluid motion of her hand.

* * *

Yup! That's right, folks! Sammy's onboard the Normandy SR-1 and is the mysterious Comm Officer from CH1! Originally, it was Joker who did all the radio patching in ME1, but in this round, it's suitable for a comm expert like Sam, don't you think? Lol!

Sorry if she's OOC, but in a way I kind of imagined her as a bit more reserved in her younger years compared to what we knew her as in ME3, but no worries! Once I make it to the final trilogy (_And I pray I do get there._) she'll be that same Comm Specialist we've come to love! Let's just say this is my take on giving her an AU character development I kind of felt she lacked from ME3.

Again, since this story has just started, things will go off slow. The moment when more squadmates are recruited is when I'll start my (_hopefully hilarious_) trash throwing banters between the characters. Thank you for taking the time to read my story! ^_^

~SiraSira


End file.
